Burnout among Undergraduate Medical Students: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Background: Burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops as a long-term reaction to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. Medical students are at high risk because they have severe academic pressures and emotional demands. Aims: To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of burnout in undergraduate medical students at Suez University. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical survey was conducted at Suez University in the academic year 2022–2023, among 282 undergraduate medical students using a structured questionnaire. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey (MBI-SS) was used to assess three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Socio-demographic and academic data, lifestyle habits, psychological and professional stressors were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Results: The high levels of student burnout were identified in emotional exhaustion (56.02%), depersonalization (60.28%), and low personal accomplishment (81.21%). Burnout correlated significantly with academic year, exercise routine, sleep duration, family history of psychological disorder, and various relationship, training, and professional stressors. Conclusion: Burnout is very prevalent among Suez University medical students, particularly in higher years of study and among students with more than one academic and psychosocial stressor. Stress management and curriculum modification intervention are warranted.